Serving the Steuben County 101 lakes area since 1857
Angola, Pleasant Twp. start discussion about creating fire territory; taxes would likely rise Page A2
Weather Partly clear, high 19, Low tonight 16. Warmer Friday, high near 30. Page A8 THURSDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2013
Angola, Indiana
GOOD MORNING House fire kills woman, 83 SPENCER (AP) — Authorities say a house fire in rural central Indiana has killed an 83-year-old woman. The body of Ruth Ingalls was found Tuesday night in her fire-gutted Owen County home along U.S. 231 about two miles south of the town of Spencer. WTHR-TV and WISH-TV report that a caller alerted the county sheriff’s office about the fire Tuesday night and said that someone might still be inside the home. Fire crews arrived to find the house fully engulfed in flames and later found Ingalls’ body inside. The state fire marshal’s office is investigating what caused the fire about 15 miles northwest of Bloomington.
Murder trial pushed to June Defense plans to depose several witnesses from July 7 killing BY AMY OBERLIN aoberlin@kpcmedia.com
ANGOLA — A Jimmerson Lake teen accused of supplying the handgun for a fatal shooting this summer may remain in Steuben County Jail through next summer. Tyler Lee Biggs, 18, had been set for trial starting Monday in Steuben Circuit Court. On a
motion by the Steuben County Prosecutor’s Office, the jury trial has been continued to June 3-6. The Fort Wayne law firm representing Biggs agreed to the motion. Biggs is charged with murder and conspiracy to commit murder, both Class A felonies punishable by up to 50 years in prison. He is being held without bail.
The defense has filed notice to depose numerous potential witnesses from the July 7 killing of Ruben Sanchez, 29, which occurred following a weekend of Biggs partying, court documents say. Mark Zachery Hines, 28, of Jimmerson Lake, pleaded guilty to the murder and was sentenced to 45 years in prison Nov. 18 by Judge Allen Wheat. At his sentencing, Hines was apologetic
SEE BIGGS, PAGE A8
If approved, order would give green light to Angola strip club
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The federal Environmental Protection Agency has added sites in South Bend, Indianapolis and Garden City to its national priorities list of Superfund sites. The EPA says being placed on the list doesn’t obligate it to pay for the cleanup, but does identify the size and nature of the cleanup challenges. Nine sites were added to the list overall. Those in Indiana are: • Beck’s Lake, a former automotive and hazardous waste dump in South Bend containing asbestos, oils and other wastes. • Keystone Corridor ground water plume in Indianapolis, which consists of chlorinated solvents from multiple possible sources. • A water plume in Garden City, a mile south of Columbus, where drinking-water wells have shown intermittent trichloroethene contamination since 1990. The EPA has said the source is not known.
INDIANAPOLIS — A court has ruled a woman’s sentence for her role in the shooting of police officer was appropriate.
for killing the brother of his long-time girlfriend. Hines, Biggs and Lucas Baxla had gone to a drinking establishment to get more alcohol that night. Tension between Hines and his girlfriend that started at the bar mounted when they returned to the home where Sanchez was staying, say court documents. Ruben went outside and met the car with Biggs and Hines inside on the lane, and allegedly hit Biggs in the head. Hines got upset that Ruben had struck an 18-year-old, said Steuben County Sheriff’s
Showgirl proposal before judge
Three sites added to Superfund list
Sentence upheld
75 cents
kpcnews.com
BY MIKE MARTURELLO mmarturello@kpcmedia.com
AMY OBERLIN
Snowy afternoon Hendry Park Elementary School students walk through accumulated snow and slush as they cross Prospect Street after school lets
out Wednesday afternoon. Snowplows were out to smooth the way for the buses following light precipitation throughout the day.
ANGOLA — A proposed injunction against Angola would prevent the city from enforcing its sexually oriented business laws against Alva Butler and the Showgirl strip club he has tried unsuccessfully to open. The injunction would also make null zoning changes that effectively have prevented the former Slider’s Grill and Bar site from being used as a sexually oriented business. The proposed injunction is sitting before U.S. Federal District Court Judge Robert L. Miller, South Bend. The proposed injunction was filed by attorneys for Butler, who along with his wife, Sandra, sued the city in March after their efforts to open a strip club were thwarted by law changes in Angola. Miller requested the proposed injunction language be filed with the court in a Nov. 13 hearing. He said his request didn’t necessarily mean he would grant the motion. “It’s not a bad thing that he’s asking for a proposed order and findings of fact,” said Matthew Hoffer, one of Butler’s attorneys. Butler, of Fort Wayne, bought the former Slider’s property, 310 W. Wendell Jacob Ave., in August 2012 with the intent of opening a Showgirl strip club. Butler is the founder of the Showgirl clubs in Fort Wayne and is current owner of Showgirl III. Showgirl I is owned by Butler’s son, James Butler. SEE SHOWGIRL, PAGE A8
READ MORE ON PAGE A3
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Index • Classified.............................................. B6-B8 Life.................................................................A6 Obituaries.....................................................A4 Opinion .........................................................A5 Sports.................................................... B1-B3 Weather........................................................A8 TV/Comics ..................................................B5 Vol. 156 No. 341
House GOP signals support; bill could come up for a vote today
Local delegates to Congress offer their views on pending measure
WASHINGTON (AP) — A newly minted budget deal to avert future government shutdowns gained important ground Wednesday among House Republicans who are more accustomed to brinkmanship than compromise, even though it would nudge federal deficits higher three years in a row. There was grumbling from opposite ends of the political spectrum — conservatives complaining about spending levels and liberal Democrats unhappy there would be no extension of an expiring program of benefits for the long-term unemployed. Yet other lawmakers, buffeted by criticism after last October’s partial government shutdown, found plenty to like in the agreement and suggested it could lead to future cooperation. The plan was announced Tuesday evening by Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., and Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., and quickly endorsed by President Barack Obama. A House vote was expected as early as today as lawmakers race to wrap up their work for the year. “A lot of folks will probably vote for it even though they would rather not support this type of
BY MATT GETTS mgetts@kpcmedia.com
legislation, but we have to get the spending issue completed so that there is some consistency in the future,” said Rep. Jeff Miller, R-Fla. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., called the agreement “a breath of fresh air” that could lead to further progress. Added House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, “If you’re for more deficit reduction, you’re for this agreement.” Boehner also took a swipe at outside groups that helped steer Republicans toward the politically damaging shutdown and opposed the current deal before it was sealed. “They’re using our members, and they’re using the American people for their own goals. This is ridiculous,” he said, evidently referring to the Club For Growth, Heritage Action and other organizations. Modest in scope, the deal underscores how much ambitions have shriveled since the summer of 2011, when Obama and Boehner held private but unsuccessful talks on a “grand bargain” to reduce deficits by $4 trillion over a decade. In the current climate, though, it means a return to something approaching a routine, where SEE BUDGET, PAGE A8
WASHINGTON — As a budget hawk, U.S. Rep. Marlin Stutzman, R-Howe, says there is a lot not to like about the budget proposal he will be voting on today. It won’t shrink the national debt, which stands at $17 trillion and counting, Stutzman said. The budget will cut $23 billion into the budget deficit over the next 10 years, but actually will increase the deficit Stutzman in the short term. “It’s still way out of balance,” Stutzman said of government spending. On the upside, the proposal would provide a degree of certainty and stability. Those are the main issues Stutzman will be weighing before deciding how to cast his vote. He is not alone in putting some serious thought into his choice. Indiana’s delegation to the U.S. Senate is also waiting until more details are known about the budget deal before deciding on a
yay or nay vote. “While I look forward to reviewing the details, I am concerned that this deal may be another missed opportunity by Congress to make the tough choices needed that will secure our long-term fiscal future,” U.S. Sen. Dan Coats said in a news release. “I believe Congress needs to live by the budget levels it passed in 2011 or replace them with real, targeted spending reforms.” “I am encouraged that budget negotiators from both sides of the aisle have put together a long-overdue proposal that would cut the deficit, provide for two years of budget certainty, and prevent another government shutdown that would further harm our economy,” U.S. Sen Joe Donnelly said in a prepared statement. “I applaud their bipartisan efforts, and I will continue to study the details before we take a vote in the Senate.” Stutzman said he received his copy of the budget Wednesday morning and has less than 36 hours to digest all its nuances before voting. Stutzman said Republican Party leaders are encouraging members to vote for the budget.